Line clamp



Jan. 10, 1950 H. J.'D. WOLFF LINE CLAMP Filed Sept. 9, 1946 a -1=r In INVENTOR HARRY J. o. WOLFF ATTORNEYS I iatented Jan. 10,

LINE CLAMP Harry J. D. Wolff, Van Nuys, Califi, assignor to I Ernest A. Huntley, Burbank, Calif.

Application September 9, 1946, Serial No. 695,769;

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to line clamps, that is, to devices adapted to grip a cable or line to hold the line taut, and included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a line clamp which is particularly suitable for holding clothes lines as well as facilitating tightening the line when needed.

Second, to provide a line clampwhich is adapted to hold securely.lines of various diameters.

Third, to provide a line clamp wherein the gripping forces are distributed over an appreciable length of the line so as to minimize damage while insuring a firm grip.

, Fourth, to provide a line clamp which is particularly simple and economical of construction.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of one form of my line clamp.

Figure 2 is a similar elevational view of another form of my line clamp.

Figure 3 is an enlarged View of my line clamp with the housing shown in section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 of a modified form of my line clamp as arranged for lines of larger size.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through 5-5 of Figure 3. I V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top or plane view of the line clamping cam shown in Figure 3.

Figures 7, 8, 9 are fragmentary transverse sectional views thereof through 1-1, 88, 99, respectively, of Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through Ill-l of Fi ureB.

The various forms of line clamps illustrated have features in common which will first be described. My line clamp includes a relatively fiat housing I defining a cam cavity 2. The cam cavity is open along the lower edge of the housing. At one end there is formed a tubular line guide 3 which is integral with the housing. Curving upwardly from the line guide 3 and forming the upper edge of the hOllSing I is a gripping wall 4 which is semicircular in cross section, as shown in Figure 7. Arranged along this wall is a series of gripping ribs 5. The ribs are preferably staggered along opposite sides of a center line disposed approximately 45 to the plane of the housing.

At the end of the housing, remote from the line guide 3 the interior wall thereof curves downwardly from the gripping wall 4 to form a deflecting wall 6. Beyond this wall the housing,

except for the arrangement shown in Figure 2,-

is reduced in width to-form a perforated mounting lug or loop portion I.

With reference particularly directed'to Figure tion and provided with a series of staggered ribs,

l2. This section of the cam extends from the upperside of the handle ID to the end of the cam remote therefrom and merges into a secondary gripping portion I3 which is convex in cross section. This portion is interrupted by a series of corrugations l4. Continuing counterclockwiseabout the periphery of the cam 8 from the secondary gripping portion l3 the cam is again.

transversely concave to form a guide channel [5. The proportions of the cam sections and their curvatures. are such that the main gripping section H is employed when a relatively large line is threaded through the line guide 3, over the earn 8 and down the deflecting wall 6. Aslwill be seen from a comparison of Figures 3, 5 and 6,

the gripping wall 4 and. main gripping section ll are complementary and define a line passage equipped withgripping ribsi' and [2.- By rea-' son of the staggered relation of these ribs a line or cable tends to assume a zig-zag contour so that a particularly effective grip is obtained and the gripping force is distributed over an appreciable length, thereby minimizing damage to the line or cable.

If the line clamp is employed to hold lines of relatively small diameter, the secondary gripping portion l3 comes into play. It will be observed by comparison of Figures 5 and 8 that the convex or beveled form of the secondary gripping portion enters into the transversely curved g ippin wall M.

The clamp is brought into operation by rotating the cam handle I!) in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 land 3 and is released by pressing upwardly or in a. counterclockwise direction on the handle.

If the form of clamp as shown in figures except Figure 2 is employed, the mounting lug or loop I is suitably anchored by means of a hook and the free end of the line hangs from the housing between the wall 6 and the cam 8. For some uses it is desirable that the line clamp be mounted the changes are largely those of proportion render the line clamp particularly suitable for larger sizes.

A cam 2| is mounted on a pin 22 which, ithas been found, may best be 10Q$1i1lltl higher with respect to the line guide 3. The ca rn 2| is provided with a, peripheral channel 23 occupying the major portion of itsIgperipheIy except for a handlenl w ish. ex ends-1 veab yb ween the. underside. of: the. nis el serves as. a, stop) and a vertical portion.

'fllieiini ial'penti noi.thegnha nelinflating.the line mde iormsla. m ans-tor deflect n he ine pwardly. fi ntinuin nounterclockwiseirom this portionthe. earn channel .is provided. with-main rippin nortion idhaviingribs 112 similar. to thos shown. 111317119 first describedstrueture. Beyond: this pontionthesides of thee-cam are beveled, and the channel: '23-. is less thana half circle in across section. This region torms..a -secondary gripping pontionifi'ior smallerdines, but in placer-of. the. corrugations. ;of-- the. first; ,describedstructure is P ovided with ripping. ribs. 2i simi ar to. b t smallerjthan ftheiibS -|Q-.;

J31; -.will-'ibe observed fmom' :=Figure..7 that the sets, ofxibs l2 andfizprovide.aiouripointengagement of :the 'line...and.--:that ithe heyeledisidesor the sec? ondarygrippmgpoiztion shown, in Figure tenable,-v the enter into the ourvedi ti pi lgwalll.

. Having-fully describedeny invention, itis amderstood: that. I do. not tozbelimited to the .detansheremsetiorth, butmy invention is ofsthe. full scopeof the appended elaims.

II-claim: -1. Alineclamp eomprisingz-a :fl-at housing including a .twbulariine gnidezextendingtf-rom one,

edge, an ed e-wall .oin vingslaterally froma-inanin i saidiine uide, QPRQfiteedgeofsaid housingbeing open; againsiisk ionmaled in aid housing and having a handle protruding from the open edge of said housing in angular relation to said line guide; said cam disk including a transversely convex and corrugated portion and a transversely concave portion having :a series of transverse ribs, said portions merging one into the other; said edge wall being transversely curved to mate said convex portion and to complement saidoonpaye portion.

-2-. A line clamp comprising: a fiat housing including a tubular line guide extending from one edge, an edge wall curving laterally from a marof said line guide, the opposite edge of said housing being open; a cam disk journaled in said l ousi ng and having a handle protruding from the open edge of said housing in angular relation to rigid; i ineguide; saideam disk including a transversely concave cam section and a transversely con-vex cam section merging one into the other; the edge wall of said housing being transversely curved to..com-plement said concavecaan .seQtion and-mate said convex cam section.

.3. A line ,clarnp comprising: a flat. housing in.-. cluding a tubular line guide extending from one.

. edge, edge awall, curving laterally from a margin of said line guide, the. opposite edge. of: said housing being open; .a camdisk j-ournaled in said: housing and having a handle protruding from :the open edgemof.saidihousing. in angular. relation to said line guide; said cam disk in.-. cluding a. transverselylconeave.cam section and a transversely ,convexcam.,section merging one. into the other; the edge, wall of saidghous-ing; being transversely curved; to complement said concave cam sectionandmate said convex earn section; said edge wall and. saidxcam sections.

having transversely extending. rib elements.

J.- D. WOLFE;

The following references are of record in the file of this patent.

UNITED -$'ATE.S-..RATEN S 

